


What You Don't Understand

by Princess0fMirkwood



Series: Pay No Attention to the Family Behind the Door [2]
Category: Sweet Magnolias (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bad Parenting, Child Abuse, Friendship, Gay, Hurt, M/M, Maddie is a good mom, Romance, The Lewis' Suck, good parenting, it's gay now, no comfort, yet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26650213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess0fMirkwood/pseuds/Princess0fMirkwood
Summary: “What are you doing?” Ty asked again, extending his hand to the boy on his floor. Jackson sighed, but took Ty’s hand, letting himself be pulled up.“I’m going home.” Jackson said, pulling his jeans up the rest of the way.Ty was shocked to say the least, after what Jackson had told him, there was no way he would have ever thought he would want to go back there.“Home? Why? After what you told me...why would you want to go back?”
Relationships: Tyler "Ty" Townsend/Jackson Lewis, Tyler Townsend & Jackson Lewis
Series: Pay No Attention to the Family Behind the Door [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939018
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	What You Don't Understand

**Author's Note:**

> I am not sorry about what you are about to read. Be prepared.

Tyler Townsend was sitting on the edge of his bed, silently, listening to the breaths of Jackson Lewis, the boy that was currently asleep in his bed. A sight that no one in Serenity would have ever thought to be a possibility. There was a moment when the sounds stopped. Ty looked at Jackson, watching the rise and fall of his chest just to make sure he was still breathing. He was. Ty let out a relieved sigh, pushing himself off of his bed and standing up, going to open his door.  
“Where are you going?” Came a sleepy and quiet whisper from Ty’s bed. He turned around to see Jackson curled up in his blanket and squeezing one of Ty’s pillows between his arms, resting his cheek on the pillow.  
“Just to talk to my mom, I’ll be right back.” Ty said, opening the door. Jackson nodded and slunk back under the mess of blankets. Ty quietly made his way down the stairs, encountering his sister at the bottom of them.  
“Is he okay?” Katie asked, making Ty smile.  
“Yeah, he’s okay.” Ty said, breathing out slowly after he spoke. He gave Katie a pat on the head and continued on to the kitchen where his mom was sitting at the counter. Ty sat down next to her, trying to get a look at the screen of the laptop she was typing on.  
“Ty,” She scoffed, “what are you doing?” She closed her laptop to keep him from seeing what she had been writing.  
“Nothing,” Ty said quickly, Maddie gave him a ‘really?’ look, “okay, I’m just trying to see if you’re sending anything to the Lewis’s or anything like that.”  
“I will tell you as soon as I send something.”  
“Or maybe you could call Aunt Helen and have her come over here, I mean she can help him, can’t she?”  
“I’ll see what she can d-”  
“I mean...they’re not gonna get away with this, are they? They can’t.” Maddie could tell that Ty was probably going to let go soon, so she grabbed his shoulders and looked at him directly in his eyes.  
“I wish I could tell you that everything is going to be okay, but I can’t.” She pulled him into a hug. He dug his face into her shoulder, and Maddie could tell that her shoulder was getting just a little wet.  
“I just can’t believe that...that anyone would ever do that. To anyone.” Ty said quietly into Maddie’s shoulder. Maddie stroked her son’s hair, trying to keep calm herself.  
“I know sweetie, and that’s what makes you such a good person,” She pulled away and cupped his face, “you think the best of people, and it’s hard for you to believe that someone is capable of something so horrible. And I am so proud of that, of you.” It took Ty a few moments to collect himself.  
“Thanks mom.” Ty said quietly, Maddie smiled at him.  
“Anytime sweetie.” She said back. They were silent for a while, everything around them was quiet. Until it wasn’t.  
There was a rustling upstairs, and Ty quickly shoved out of his mother’s grasp and ran upstairs to his bedroom. He threw open the door to see Jackson trying to change back into his jeans by hopping on his good leg.  
“What are you doing?” Ty said, a little more angrily than he had intended. Jackson was startled by Ty’s voice, and looked up at the door with surprised eyes before tumbling to the ground. Ty rushed to his side. Jackson resigned to lay there for a little bit, staring blankly at the ceiling.  
“What are you doing?” Ty asked again, extending his hand to the boy on his floor. Jackson sighed, but took Ty’s hand, letting himself be pulled up.  
“I’m going home.” Jackson said, pulling his jeans up the rest of the way.  
Ty was shocked to say the least, after what Jackson had told him, there was no way he would have ever thought he would want to go back there.  
“Home? Why? After what you told me...why would you want to go back?” Ty asked, Jackson sighed, sitting down on Ty’s bed and taking off the shirt Ty had lent him.  
“Because Ty, if I stay here any longer my parents will just be angrier when I do go back home.” He picked up his shirt from Ty’s side table and slipped it on.  
“What are you talking about?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Why would you go back there at all?” Ty asked.  
“Because I have to, Ty.” Jackson said, a little bit confused.  
“But I thought you were going to stay here.” Jackson laughed a little.  
“That would be great Ty, but I can’t stay here.” Jackson said, standing up and limping over to Ty.  
“Why not?”  
“I just can’t.” Jackson said, a little bit louder than he had been talking before.  
“Well can you tell me why you can’t?” Ty sounded angrier as well.  
“No! You won’t understand” Jackson almost yelled.  
“How do you know that?” Ty almost yelled back. Before Jackson knew what was happening, he did something he knew that he would regret. Ty didn’t move, he just widened his eyes in surprise as Jackson cupped his hands around Ty’s face, hoping that it wasn’t too much of a shock. It was warm, and sort of calming. Ty closed his eyes slowly, relaxing just a bit. But it wasn’t like he was g-  
Jackson pulled away from Ty, letting his arms drop to his sides.  
“It isn’t just being bad at baseball that my dad hates me for.” Jackson said. He grabbed his hat from Ty’s side table and pushed past Ty and to the stairs, slowly walking down them. In all honesty, Ty had zero idea of what just happened. Well, he knew what had happened, but he had no idea what to do now that it had. Ty took a deep breath in, letting his mind really soak in the moment. Not that he was g-  
Ty shook his head, finally realizing what had happened, and ran out of his bedroom and down the stairs. He was just in time to listen to his mom cry out “Wait!” and hear the front door slam shut. It wasn’t an angry slam, the Townsend’s just had a heavy door. Ty stopped next to his mom, he didn’t say anything.  
“What happened?” She asked quietly. Ty tried to speak but when he did, it felt as if his lips were glued shut. He shook his head. He had no idea what had happened.

Ty was running as fast as he could, faster than he ever did when sprinting at baseball practice, and he was running for someone who he hated. Well, thought he hated. Ty stopped right in front of the Lewis’ giant house. He bent down, pushing his hands into his knees to balance himself while he caught his breath. He looked up at the giant structure that stood before him, and while he remembered always hating that house, always hating the people inside of it, all he could think of was how worried he was for the young boy that lived there. That was suffering there. Ty slowly straightened himself out, and walked cautiously to the front door. He gently rested his knuckles against the wooden door and, after taking a deep breath in, knocked a few times on the door. He stood there for a moment, waiting. Then the door swung open and Ty was met with the angry eyes of the Mayor.  
“What are you doing here?”  
“I just came to see Ja-”  
“Get off of my property, now.”  
“All I want to know is if he’s ok-”  
“I will call the police!” Mayor Lewis bellowed, making Ty scramble back down a few of the porch steps. Behind the Mayor Ty could see Jackson standing there, his entire body seemingly trembling. Ty wanted to run up and push past Mayor Lewis to give Jackson a hug he so desperately seemed to need, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t imagine what would happen to Jackson if he even tried to get inside. Ty could see directly into Jackson’s soul through his eyes, and gently touched his own lips. He quickly remembered where he was and jerked his hand down. Ty stood up as straight as he could, and looked at the Mayor. There was nothing he could do right now.  
“I understand,” he said quietly, “I’ll leave you alone.” Ty turned around slowly, and walked down the driveway, kicking a rock with the tip of his shoe.  
“Ty!” He heard someone call, so he looked up to see his mother jumping out of Aunt Helen’s car and running towards him. “Ty what are you doing?” She said once she had gotten a grip on his shoulders. Ty looked solemnly at his mother.  
“Trying to be a hero.” Maddie sighed understandingly, letting Ty wrap his hands around her waist and rest his chin on her shoulder. Ty lifted his head, trying to show his mom that he was alright. It didn’t last long.  
A crash came from the Lewis’ house, followed by a scream that sounded like it came from a teenage boy. It took all of Ty’s strength not to run to the door and burst into the house.

**Author's Note:**

> I did it. I made it gay. Comments appreciated. Part 3 coming soon don't worry.


End file.
